St. Paul's Mission facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Paul's Mission
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St Paul's Mission, August 2006
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| Location | On Lake Roosevelt, west of Kettle Falls |
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| Nearest city | Kettle Falls, Washington |
| NRHP reference No. | 74002259 |
| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1974 |
St. Paul's Mission is a historic church built by Jesuit missionaries in the 1830s. A Jesuit is a member of a Catholic religious group called the Society of Jesus. This mission was part of the Hudson's Bay Company's (HBC) area called the Columbia District, which is in the Pacific Northwest part of North America.
The church was built close to the HBC's Fort Colville, on a hill that looked over Kettle Falls on the Columbia River. This old building is still standing today!
Contents
History of St. Paul's Mission
For many years, different Christian missionaries visited the area around Kettle Falls. They wanted to teach the local people about Christianity.
Early Missionary Visits
In 1836, the first Protestant missionaries arrived. Protestants are Christians who are not Catholic. These missionaries were sponsored by Presbyterian and Congregational churches. However, they were not able to baptize, or officially welcome, any Native Americans into their church.
Catholic Missionaries Arrive
Two years later, in 1838, Catholic missionaries came to the area. They were led by French-Canadian Fathers François Norbert Blanchet and Modeste Demers. In 1839, they held the first Catholic mass, which is a church service, in the large area between the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Range. They baptized 19 Native Americans. However, they could not set up a permanent mission at Kettle Falls. Their main focus was on building the St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
Building the Mission Church
In August 1845, a Belgian priest named Father DeSmet preached to the Sxoielpi, also known as the Colville Indians. After his visit, a small chapel made of logs was built.
Just two years later, a new church was built to replace the small chapel. This new church was made from logs that were cut and shaped by hand.
Abandonment and Restoration
Around 1869, St. Paul's Mission was no longer used. The mission moved to a new spot about seven miles north of the current city of Colville.
The old church building was damaged by a fire in 1910. But it was repaired and made new again between 1939 and 1940. Today, it stands as an important historical site.
